Customer Reviews

Over Sea, Under Stone

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Simon, Jane and Barney expected nothing more than a pleasant holiday when they arrived in Cornwall with their parents and their enigmatic Great-Uncle Merry. But then they find the map in the attic . . . All of a sudden, everybody seems very interested in them. The strange Mr and Miss Withers, their manservant Bill, the dark-looking Mr Hastings. And above all of this, why is their Great-Uncle protecting them? What "danger" are they in? They are willing to try to help Great-Uncle Merry find the grail - but are they willing to sacrifice themselves . . .?

This book is a wonderful introduction to a thrilling series. People are often quite hard on the book - especially if they've also read the second in the series, The Dark is Rising. But what people have to understand is that they are two completely different stories. This book is not essentially about the battle between the Light and the Dark, it is just about three children who must get the Grail. We must assume that Susan Cooper had no idea this was going to develop into a sequence, and therefore saw no need to add the elements of Magic which are seen in later books. This book whisks me away to Cornwall, and I found myself sharing the feelings of Simon, Jane and Barney all the way through. Ms. Cooper, you have done yourself proud with this series.

By one of those strange coincidences, I read this book shortly after the new "Ulysses Moore - The Door to Time", and a comparison of the two will reveal many similarities. This story was copyrighted by Susan Cooper in 1965, and tells the tale of three children who discover an old map in the house where they are vacationing.

Three children (two boys and a girl) begin exploring an old house on the coast of England, and find a hidden door behind a wardrobe. Later they come across an ancient map, and find themselves in a great and dangerous adventure solving the cryptic clues on the way to locating the hidden treasure. This plot summary can be used for either book.

"Over Sea, Under Stone" however, is a much more entertaining read, as the treasure is a grail from the legend of King Arthur, and there are forces of Light and Dark battling for possession. The children face many physical challenges on their quest, and soon discover that some of their acquaintances cannot be trusted.

With their Great-Uncle Merry as their confidante and guardian angel, the three siblings experience the adventure of a lifetime, one I strongly recommend for ages 9-12, and the young at heart.

Amanda Richards, January 22, 2006

Few stories are more popular among readers than the age old battle between good and evil, which is exemplified in the legend of King Arthur. Susan Cooper gives that scenario an imaginative twist with "Over Sea, Under Stone." It's a narrative sure to pique the imaginations of young ones, especially as read by popular British actor Alex Jennings.

When, during a vacation in today's Cornwall, the Drew children discover an old manuscript in the attic of their rented house, they suddenly find themselves involved in an exciting and dangerous quest. Their very lives are jeopardized as they search for the grail, the one antidote to the power of evil called the Dark. Their Great Uncle Merry is on their side, but much of what he knows he isn't telling.

Ms. Cooper's prose is both concise and thrilling; Mr. Jennings's reading is superb.

Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in my favorite series of all time. I first read it repeatedly when I was ten years old, again in Ireland at age 18, and once more this year at the age of 28. The lore (as it refers to the wisdom of a people) and imagination of the series is profound, the characters both ordinary and extraordinary enough that they quickly work their way into a reader's heart. These books withstand the test of time, and will live well beyond the 20th century.

"Over Sea Under Stone" is perhaps the weakest of the classic "Dark is Rising" series, though in itself it's quite a good book. In this, Susan Cooper kicks off her epic fantasy sequence with doses of Celtic legend, a good vs. evil battle, and a hunt for a mysterious, magical treasure.

Simon, Jane and Barney Drew have arrived at their great-uncle Merriman's seaside house for a vacation -- and rapidly become quite bored with the seaside village. But when exploring the attic, they unearth a very, very old map that is somehow connected with the legendary King Arthur. As anyone else would do, the kids begin the search to find a golden grail that is somewhere nearby.

But they soon find that they are not the only ones who want the map. A seemingly genial pair of vacationers are being slightly too inquisitive, and someone breaks into Merriman's house in search of the map. And Merriman reveals the origins of the map -- and an ages-old conflict between good and evil that hinges on who finds the grail first.

Taken alone, "Over Sea Under Stone" is a solid, even excellent fantasy story. But it's a little out of sync with the rest of the series. However it sets excellent groundwork, has an intriguing storyline and a good mix of folklore and Arthuriana, and offers us one of the most mysterious and likable "magic mentors," Merriman Lyon. It starts off with every kid's fantasy -- treasure maps and ancient kings -- and rapidly blossoms into something much more.

One of the most noticeable differences between this and Cooper's later books is the writing; the writing in her later books becomes much more verbose and descriptive and magical. Here it's quite stark and plain, without a great deal of detail or mystical mind-blowing. "Over Sea" is mostly very prosaic and very rooted in our world, and many important concepts in the series aren't even touched on.

The Drew kids are the sort of siblings that pop up in old E. Nesbit books -- plucky, chirpy and on vacation. There isn't a lot of difference between their individual personalities, although they are quite likable. Their "uncle" Merriman is pleasant, humorous, but at the same time Cooper implies that still waters run deep. The malevolent Mr. and Miss Withers are initially very jovial and kindly, but you can sense something rotten underneath.

The first of the "Dark is Rising" books is somewhat out of sync with the novels that follow, but taken alone it's still an excellent, well-written fantasy adventure.

This book starts the classic five-volume fantasy series "The Dark Is Rising Sequence." Although listed as books for teenagers, adult fantasy fans will also find much to love in these novels. Author Susan Cooper writes with intelligence and respect for her readers, and fills all the books with fascinating layers of history, folklore, and mysticism. This first book establishes the conflict that will continue through the remaining books in the series: a group of modern-day English children find themselves embroiled in the hidden battle between the forces of good and a mysterious force known as The Dark, a battle that has its roots in the shadowy legends of King Arthur.

"Over Sea, Under Stone" differs from the other books in the series in that it avoids the overtly supernatural. This is an unusual fantasy novel in which nothing obviously fantastic occurs. The terrors of The Dark and the workings of magic remain subtle hints and hidden undertones beneath the action, as if they are occurring just out of sight of the main characters. This gives the novel a spooky sense of reality, and the reader can easily imagine him or herself in the place of the three children who, during a vacation in Cornwall, slowly discover the battle with The Dark that has existed for centuries. The novels that follow, especially "The Dark is Rising," plunge headlong into the supernatural, but "Over Sea, Under Stone" provides a perfect, gradual introduction.

The story introduces us to the three Drew children, Simon, Barney, and Jane, and their mysteriously knowledgeable Great-Uncle Merry, all who will play major parts in the saga. While the Drew children are on vacation in Cornwall (a land steeped in legends), they discover a map which may lead to the Grail of the King Arthur stories. With Great-Uncle Merry's help they start to unravel the clues on the map. But The Dark will do anything to seize the Grail first, for it contains a power that can defeat them. The story unfolds as a fascinating mystery as the Drew children unravel clue after clue while the danger from mysterious individuals grows greater with each stride they make toward the final goal.

Few young adult fantasies offer such intelligence and subtlety as "Over Sea, Under Stone." Readers of all ages will become entwined in its mysteries and read swiftly to the tense conclusion. After that, they will definitely want to continue to the epic next book in the sequence, "The Dark Is Rising," where the hidden magical forces of this book burst through the surface to start their titanic battle. The story continues in "Greenwitch," "The Grey King," and concludes in "Silver on the Tree."

My brother didn't particularly like this book, because the real-world setting rendered it too far-fetched for him. I took it from his bookshelf anyway for a quick read (one chapter = one study break) and was surprised at his judgment, for to me, it is precisely the real-world setting that makes this book magical.

On vacation in Trewissick, Simon, Jane and Barney Drew find a map and soon get caught up in an adventure which is bigger than themselves. The Cornish setting is very accurately described and never do the fantastical, legendary elements seem out of place; in fact, this book magnificently conveys the sense of nothing but a thin veneer of drab reality separating us from the mysteries of history and long-forgotten lore. Ghosts from the past and creatures of today blend wonderfully to make Trewissick a magical place despite the ordinariness of the village. English country roads become scary, animals seem to awaken to sudden memories of the past, and last but not least the story of the interminable struggle between good and evil in which the evil will often win but the certainty of the final victory of good prevails fleshes out the plot and makes it universal: I am twenty-three, but I identified with the three youngsters half my age. This story will grip you too.

This book is so exciting, after you read it you will be looking back over your shoulder expecting a tall guy in black coming after you because you know too much about him. Hastings, as he's called appears in most of the other books in some form or another. The book begins in Cornwall, England, where three children find a strange parchment, and with the help of their Great-uncle Merry, try to find the treasure that it leads to without getting cought by the Dark. The treasure it leads to is a grail, one of the four things of power that the Light needs to stop the Dark before it takes over the world. This book has many high points in which you'll think that the Dark will win, like when Simon gets chased by Hastings on foot. Or when Barney gets kiddnapped by the Withers (some others from the Dark) and is put under a spell by Hastings, and almost gives him the location of the grail. If you read the other books after this one then you will smile at the familiarity that you see. Read this book, everyone! You'll love it!!!

The intro to Susan Cooper's justly famous Dark is Rising series, Over Sea sets up the saga beautifully. Though published as children's literature, it is much more than just an amusing kiddie story. Deftly intertwining history, mythology (especially Celtic and British), adventure, and magic, Over Sea appears based upon two ancient myths, that of the kingly hero and that of the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Cooper's writing is ageless and timeless. Her plot is tight, her characters engaging, her dialogue real. Who are the Drew kids? How did they become enmeshed in this struggle between the light and the dark? Who are friends and who are enemies? The account of Bartholmew's bewildering and dangerous experience in the village carnival, with its ancient roots, mixture of menace and delight, and suspension of reality, is particularly well presented. This is a book that can be read and enjoyed on multiple levels, recommended for adults who love folklore as well as children looking for a fun, intriguing adventure.

The first book in the "Dark Is Rising" series and, in many ways, the most readable. In this story, three siblings struggle to follow a series of clues leading them to the Holy Grail. Aided by their mysterious guardian, Merriman, the kids solve riddles and try to escape the clutches of the Dark. This is undoubtedly the most engaging book in the "Dark Is Rising" series, though the later books are certain more sophisticated. Oddly bereft of magic, it taps into a lot of plot elements that kids love. Mystery and escape. A summer free of parents and school. And a treasure to be found, thanks to a map in a dusty old house. Heck, it even has an abandoned attic full of junk. Whats not to like?

The kids themselves are particularly engaging. Cooper has a good ear for dialogue, and the kids never sound like an age that they arent. Too often Ill read books about eight year-olds that talk, walk, and act like theyre thirty-five. Here, an eight-year-old is eight, and the reader never doubts the authors tongue. As for the story, who could complain? Susan Cooper knows how to instill fear. Her villains are always most villainous when theyre cool and collected. Her plots are carefully planned and rarely forced. And her writing is melodic. She does suffer from a dire need to often put rhymes and poems in her books that the heroes must solve. But otherwise, one cannot complain. If youve kids looking for something in a Tolkein vein, this is the book for them.